Automatic traveling punching device



Oct. 18, 1966 J. D. SENOUR AUTOMATIC TRAVELING PUNCHING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24. 1964 Oct. 18, 1966 J. D. SENOUR 3,279,066

AUTOMATIC TRAVELING PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jmvas 0. fi wou ATTORN EY Oct. 18, 1966 J. D. SENOUR AUTQMATIC TRAVELING PUNCHING DEVICE 5 Sheets$heet 5 Filed Nov. 24, 1964 .N VEN TOR. 554/002.

J4 M65 D.

ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J, D. SENOUR 3,279,066

AUTOMATIC TRAVELING PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1.\V1I;\"IOR. James 0. 554/002 ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J. 0. SENOUR 3,27 66 AUTOMATIC TRAVELING PUNCHING DEVICE Filed Nov. 24. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I N VEN I OR. W JAW$ Q fifA/az/e ATTORNEY United States Patent Olilice 3,279,066 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 3 279,066 AUTOMATIC TRAVE LING PUNCHING DEVICE James D. Senour, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Morton Levitt, Elkhart, Ind. Filed Nov. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 413,584 10 Claims. (Cl. 30358) This invention relates to improvements in automatic traveling punching devices.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is adapted to move, step by step, along the margin of a sheet of metal with an intermittent driving or advancing movement, and which is operable to punch a hole in the sheet metal during each hesitation or pause in the driving action.

A further object is to provide a device of this character capable of traversing the margin of a sheet of metal and to punch said sheet in a selected number of rows in which individual punch apertures are spaced selected distances from each other and from the punch apertures in adjacent rows.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a housing with a portion adapted to receive a work piece and carrying drive rolls selectively positioned between driving and release position.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 2 is a view of the device in side elevation as viewed in the direction of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1, with one side plate removed;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device as viewed in the direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the device as viewed in the direction of the arrow 4 in FIG. 1, with one side plate removed;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of a work piece illustrating the manner in which two rows of holes are formed therein by the device;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIG. 9.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates an electric motor of any suitable character, having a housing projection 21 carrying a suitable bearing through which extends a motor shaft 22 which mounts a worm 23.

The housing of the motor 20 mounts a motor cap 24 having a recess 25 fitting with clearance around the worm 23. The cap 24 mounts a bearing 26 which journals the free end of the motor shaft 22. A cam recess 27 is formed in the motor cap outwardly of the motor shaft 22. The motor cap is mounted upon the motor housing by any suitable means. A body member 28 is secured to the motor cap 24 in any suitable manner to project therebelow. The body member is provided with cavities and apertures cooperating with the recesses 25 and 27 of the motor cap to accommodate and receive the various operating parts to be described, A cover plate 29 is mounted upon one side of the body member 28, and a cover plate 30 is mounted upon the opposite side of the body member 28. The cover plates are mounted detach ably by machine screws or any other suitable means, as

well understood in the art. The body member 28 has a work-receiving slot 31 formed therein at a portion thereof below the cover plate 30, as best seen in FIG. 6.

A transverse bore in the body 28 mounts bearing 32 in which is journaled a worm gear shaft 33. The shaft 33 passes through a cavity 34 in the body 28 and mounts thereon within said cavity a worm gear 35 which meshes with the worm 23. A recess 36 is formed in one face of the body 28 and receives a gear 37 mounted on the worm gear shaft 33. The recess 36 is of irregular configuration, as best seen in FIG. 2 which illustrates one side surface of the body 28 with the cover plate 29 removed therefrom.

A bnll gear 38 in the body recess 36 meshes with gear 37 and is journaled on bull gear shaft 39 journaled in suitable bearings in a passage or bore parallel to the worm gear shaft 33. The bull gear shaft 39 mounts thereon an interrupted gear 40 inwardly from the gear 38 as best illustrated in FIG. 8.

A cam shaft 41 is journaled in bearings 42 and mounts the full tooth gear 43 adapted to mesh with the inter rupted gear 40. The cam shaft 41 extends through a cavity 44 in the body 28 open at the recess 27 of the cap 24. Shaft 41 mounts a pair of cam disks 45 and 46 positioned within cavity 44 and preferably displaced 180 degrees or at any other selected angle. Cam follower rings 47 and 48 encircle the cams 45 and 46, respectively, and each has pivoted connection at 49 at a knuckle thereof with a recess formed in a head 50 mounted on the upper end of a punch member 51, which punch members are slidable endwise in bearing guides 52 which are open at the work slot 31 in predetermined spaced relation. Suitable tubular punch die buttons 53 are aligned with the respective punches in the manner well understood in the art and are adapted to respectively receive the leading or working end of the punch 51 aligned therewith.

An eccentrically mounted cam disk 55 is mounted on the bull gear shaft 39 inwardly of the gear 38 and is encircled by a cam follower ring 56 which carries a cam arm 57 which is pivotally connected at 58 with a plunger 69 which is adjustably secured in a plunger guide 60 pivoted upon a shaft 61 suitably journaled in bearings respectively carried by the body 28 and cover plate 29, as best seen in FIG. 6. A spring 62 acts upon the plunger guide or dog feed arm 60 to normally urge it, i.e. rock it in one direction. A feed ratchet disk 63 best seen in FIG. 8 is mounted on shaft 61 and fixedly secured thereto is a feed ratchet gear 64. A pawl 65 is pivoted at 66 to the guide 60 and suitably engages the teeth of the ratchet disk 63 to provide a one-way drive incident to rocking of the plunger guide 60 for rotating the shaft 61 upon each rotation of the bull gear shaft 39 and the eccentric cam disk 55 thereon as transmitted through the cam follower ring 56 and the cam arm 57. In other words, rotation of shaft 39 and cam disk 55 reciprocates cam arm 57 vertically as seen in FIG. 2, and thereby rocks plunger 59 and guide 60 upon shaft 61. Rocking of guide 60 in one direction effects a drive of disk 63 through pawl 65, and rocking of guide 60 in the other direction causes lost motion or idling travel of pawl 68 relative to disk 63.

A pinion 67 is positioned in body recess 36 alongside the feed ratchet gear 64 with which it meshes. Pinion 67 is mounted on a shaft 68 which is journaled in the portion of the body 28 below the slot 31. The shaft 68 extends through the body and projects from the side thereof opposite the side at which recess 36 is formed, and mounts a lower feed roller 69, best seen in FIG. 4. An upper pinion 70 carried by a shaft 71 and meshing with gear 64, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 is journaled in a bearing sleeve 72 extending through a bore in the body 28, as seen in FIGS. and 6, and projects therefrom into a recess 73 formed in the body 28 at the surface thereof opposite the surface in which the recess 36 is formed. The shaft 71 is preferably of a length to extend across the recess 73 and into a bore in the side plate 29. An elongated feed roll housing 74 is located in the recess 73 and is pivotable about the shaft 71 which passes therethrough at one end thereof. A gear 75 is fixedly mounted on shaft 71 and meshes with gear 76 fixed to a shaft 77 extending across and journaled in the feed roller housing 74. A second and upper feed roller 78 is fixed on the shaft 77. As best seen in FIG. 4, feed roller 78 is located directly above and adjacent to the lower feed roll 69 when the device is positioned with the work slot 31 thereof horizontal.

The feed roller housing 74 has a projection, such as a tongue or flange 79, extending from its free end laterally outwardly beyond the roller 78 and adjacent thereto, which bears upon a cam disk 80 which is mounted eccentrically upon a rotatable shaft 81 journaled in the body and in the side plate 29 and mounting at its outer projecting end an actuating lever 82. A bore is formed in the body 28 above the recess 73 and communicating therewith to slidably receive a hold-down pin 83 which is spring-pressed at 84 to normally cause it to engage the flange 79 and hold it in contact with the cam disk 80. The throw of the cam disk 80 is preferably sufl'icient to substantially completely retract the upper feed roller 78 above the Work slot 31 when said cam is displaced by the actuating lever 82 to a position 180 degrees displaced from the position shown in FIG. 4. It will also be apparent that, when a work piece 85 is interposed between the feed rollers 69 and 78 while the cam disk 80 is in its maximum adjustment for projection of the feed roller 78 into engagement with feed roller 69 or adjacent thereto, said work piece will separate the roller 78 from the lower roller 69 by upward pivoting of the free end of the feed roller housing 74 against the action of the spring 84, whereby the projecting flange 79 is clear of the cam disk 80.

In addition to the feed rollers 69 and 78, other means are provided for engaging work piece 85 as it fits in the slot 31. Thus shafts 86 are journaled in the body below and adjacent to the opposite ends of the slot 31 and each mounts one or more guide rollers 87 which project above the lowermost surface of the slot 31 substantially the same distance as does the feed roller 69 therebetween. A pair of guide roller shafts 88 are journaled in the body 28 above and adjacent the opposite ends of slot 31 and each mounts one or more guide rollers 89 which preferably project slightly below the top surface of the slot 31. A pair of rollers 90 are journaled adjacent the inner edge of the slot 31, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, and are adapted to engage an edge of the work piece 85.

The hull gear 38 is freely rotatable upon the bull gear shaft 39 and has a notch in which is adapted to seat a clutch dog 91 pivoted to the shaft 39 at 92 and normally urged to clutching position by spring 93, as best seen in FIG. 6. A clutch actuating lever 94 is pivoted to the body 28 at 95 and terminates in a cam 96 which engages the clutch dog 91.

In order to provide intermittent motion to the cam shaft 41, at Geneva motion mechanism is associated with the shafts 39 and 41 and their respective gears 40 and 43. Thus, as best seen in FIG. 8, the bull gear shaft 39 mounts a disk 97 which has a reduced diameter or interrupted portion 98. The portion 98 is located adjacent to the interrupted gear 40 and is of an circumferential extent slightly less than the circumferential extent of the interrupted gear teeth 40. A second interrupted disk 99 is mounted upon the cam shaft 41 and has a pair of diametrically opposed interruptions 100 formed therein. The arrangement of the parts is such that while the bull gear shaft 39 is rotating through that part of a revolution at which the untoothed or hub part of the gear 40 is juxtaposed to the gear 43 so that no driving action transpires between the two gears, the large diameter peripheral portion of the disk 97 will rotate in one of the interrupted portions 100 of the disk 99. Thereupon, when the leading gear tooth of the gear 40 comes into mesh with the teeth of the gear 43, the trailing shoulder between the large diameter part of the disk 97 and the small diameter part 98 of that disk will be free to move in a notch portion 101 of the interruption 100 to permit drive transmission between the teeth of the gear 40 and the teeth of the gear 43, thereby bringing one of the large diameter portions of the Geneva disk 99 into the interruption of disk 97 provided by the small diameter part 98 thereof. The gear arrangement and the gear teeth are so proportioned that predetermined rotation of the gear 43 and its shaft 41, such as degrees, will be produced upon each revolution of the bull gear 39 and its interrupted gear 40, at the conclusion of which the large diameter disk portion 97 will enter the interruption 100 of the disk 99 diametrically opposite that which had previously engaged said disk, thereby stopping the revolution of the cam shaft 41.

The cams 45 and 46 are normally so oriented relative to the disk 99 that both of the punches 51 are positioned clear of and above the slot 31 during the rest position of the cam shaft 41. Consequently, during each 180 degrees revolution, one of the cams 45 and 46 will urge its associated punch downwardly across the slot 31 to cause it to perforate the work piece 85, and then return to its inoperative position. During this punching operation the opposite punch is moved from its inoperative position to a further retracted position and then back to its normal or inoperative position. As a result it will be apparent that where two punches are utilized, two rows of perforations 102 and 103 are formed in the work piece in staggered relation and in predetermined spacing, as illustrated in FIG. 7. It will be understood, however, that where only one row of perforations is to be formed, one of the punches 51 may be removed. It will also be apparent that, if two rows of perforations are desired in which each perforation in one row is opposite the perforation in the other row, only a single cam need be provided for actuating both of the two spaced punches 51. It will also be apparent that, by proper gear ratios and the proper design of the Geneva motion disks 97 and 99, three or more punches may be provided to form rows of perforations which are staggered in the respective rows.

In the use of the device it is applied to the edge of a. sheet metal work piece 85 by slipping the same over the edge at the notch 31 with the work piece passing between the rollers 87 and 88. The cam lever 82 will be shifted to a position with the cam 80 opposite the position shown in FIG. 4, so as to provide clearance for the work piece between the feed rollers 69 and 78. When the work piece is properly positioned, as with its edge in engagement with rollers 90, the cam lever 82 is adjusted to position the cam as illustrated in FIG. 4 whereupon the work piece is frictionally gripped by the feed rollers 69 and 78 under the pressure of the spring 84 applied through pin 83 to the tongue 79 of the pivoted feed roller housing 74.

Assuming that the motor 20 is operating, the clutch actuating member 94 is then shifted to effect a driving engagement between the bull gear 38 and the bull gear shaft 39, thereby causing the intermittent operation of the cam shaft 41 previously described.

The eccentric cam disk 55 is fixed on the bull gear shaft 39 to rotate therewith and independently of the bull gear 38. Consequently, the actuation of the clutch through the clutch lever 94 which operates the cam disk 55 serves to rotate the feed ratchet gear 64 through a predetermined are as controlled by the throw of the cam disk 55 and the rocking of the cam arm 57 which produces partial rotation of the shaft 61. The partial rotation of the shaft 61 serves to rotate the shafts 68 and 77 in opposite directions through a predetermined angle during the downstroke of the cam disk thereby advancing the device upon the work piece 85 to a predetermined extent or distance as desired between the apertures in opposite rows. Upon the upstroke of the cam disk 55, the shaft 61 is held stationary by sliding of the pawl 65 over the teeth of ratchet disk 63, thereby holding stationary the gear 64 and the gearing driven therefrom for driving the feed rolls 69 and 78.

The device provides portable means for readily punching at selected spacings in each row. The operation entails an intermittent advance of the device upon the work piece and the perforation of the work piece while the device is stationary thereon.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls and means for holding said punch activating means stationary while said feed roll actuating means operate and said punch is clear of said slot.

2. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable on said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, means for holding stationary said punch actuating means while said feed roll drive means operate and said punch is clear of said slot and clutch means for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting said feed roll drive means relative to said motor.

3. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, said feed rolls engaging opposite surfaces of said work sheet, and means for holding stationary said punch actuating means while said feed roll drive means operate and said punch is clear of said slot, shiftable means mounting one feed roll, spring means urging said shiftable feed roll mounting means toward an opposed feed roll to bring the feed roll thereof into frictional driving engagement with said work sheet, and selectively a-ctuable means for shifting said feed roll mounting means against the action of said spring to a position at which its feed roll disengages a work sheet positioned in said slot between said opposed feed rolls.

4. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, and drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, and means for holding stationary said punch actuating means while said feed roll drive means operate and said punch is clear of said slot said first named drive means including a rotatable cam disk, cam follower means, and a one-way step feed roll drive means actuated intermittently during a selected portion only of the rotation of said cam disk.

5. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, means for holding stationary said punch actuating means while said feed roll means operate and said punch is clear of said slot, said first named drive means including a rotatable cam disk, cam follower means, a feed ratchet disk advanced through a predetermined partial revolution upon each actuation of said cam follower means in one direction, and lost motion means for accommodating actuation of said cam follower in opposite direction independently of said ratchet disk while said punch drive means operates.

6. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, means for holding stationary said punch drive means while said feed roll drive means operate and said punch is clear of said slot, said first named drive means including a rotatable cam disk, cam follower means, a pawl actuated by said cam follower means, and a feed ratchet disk engaged by said pawl and driven thereby upon advance of said pawl by said cam follower in one direction only.

7. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a Work sheet in said slot, a drive mot-or carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, and drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, said last named drive means including a rotatable cam shaft, cam follower means for advancing and retracting said punch, means for rotating said cam shaft through a predetermined angular extent upon each actuation thereof and means for holding said punch stationary while clear of said slot during actuation of said feed wheel drive means.

8. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, and drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, said last named drive means including an interrupted gear adapted to mesh with a driven gear, and a Geneva motion mechanism for restraining rotation of said driven gear while said interrupted gear is out of mesh with said driven gear.

9. A traveling punch device adapted to perforate sheet material, comprising a body having a work-receiving slot, feed rolls journaled in said body and engageable with a work sheet in said slot, a drive motor carried by said body, drive means actuated by said motor for driving said feed rolls to advance said body on a work sheet intermittently, a punch slidable in said body transversely of said slot for perforating a work sheet located in said slot, and drive means actuated by said motor for actuating said punch during the intervals between successive body advancing actuations of said feed rolls, said last named drive means including an interrupted gear adapted to mesh with a driven gear, and a pair of cooperating interrupted disks carried by said interrupted and driven gears and interfitting to lock said driven gear while said interrupted gear is out of mesh therewith.

10. A traveling punch device adapted to traverse and perforate sheet material, comprising a drive motor, a body carried by said motor and having a sheet receiving slot, a cam shaft rotatable in said body, a punch reciprocable in said body transversely of said slot in response to rotation of said cam shaft, a bull gear shaft journaled in said body, a driving connection between said motor and said bull gear shaft, a gear train connecting said bull gear shaft and said cam shaft and including an interrupted gear adapted to mesh with and drive a second continuous gear, Geneva motion means cooperating with said interrupted and second gear to hold said second gear stationary while said interrupted gear is out of mesh therewith, a cam on said bull gear shaft, one-way drive means actuated a predetermined extent during a predetermined portion of each rotation of said cam, and work-engaging feed drive rolls journaled on said body adjacent said slot and driven through a predetermined rotative angle upon each actuation of said one-way drive means,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 420,447 Z/l890 France 83213 X 893,069 7/1908 Gether 83629 X 1,156,701 10/1915 Meahl 83214X 1,582,596 4/1926 Grabo 83-213 X 2,064,731 12/1936 Caserta 83202 2,071,991 2/1937 Varkas 19271 3,194,099 7/1965 Palter 83214 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRAVELING PUNCH DEVICE ADAPTED TO PERFORATE SHEET MATERIAL, COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A WORK-RECEIVING SLOT, FEED ROLLS JOURNALED IN SAID BODY AND ENGAGEABLE WITH A WORK SHEET IN SAID SLOT, A DRIVE MOTOR CARRIED BY SAID BODY, DRIVE MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID FEED ROLLS TO ADVANCE SAID BODY ON A WORK SHEET INTERMITTENTLY, A PUNCH SLIDABLE IN SAID BODY TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SLOT FOR PERFORATING A WORK SHEET LOCATED IN SAID SLOT, DRIVE MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID MOTOR FOR ACTUATING SAID PUNCH DURING 